legendofthegalacticheroesfandomcom-20200214-history
Reinhard von Lohengramm
Born to a poor aristrocratic family, Rheinhard von Lohengramm was a military genius and political idealist. He overthrew the 500 year old Goldenbaum Dynasty and established himself as the new emperor, or Kaiser. Rheinhard began a number of reforms, remodelling the Galactic Empire into a nation that was, in the words of Yang Wenli, "not by the people, but for the people." Childhood Born to the name Rheinhard von Musel to a poor aristocratic family, Rheinhard grew up with his father and sister in a middle-class, suburban neighborhood. His mother having died when he was very young, Rheinhard formed a very close relationship with his older sister, Annerose. As a child, Rheinhard met the man whom he would later claim as another part of himself: Siegfriend Kircheis. The young Rheinhard felt the name "Siegfried" was too dull and common, and thus insisted on calling Siegfried by his surname, Kircheis. One day a high nobleman happened to see Annerose in street, and took notice of her. Rumors of Annerose's beauty soon reached the Imperial Court, and it was decided that she would be brought to the Imperial Palace to serve as consort to the emperor--Kaiser Friedrich IV. Rheinhard's father was given a large sum of money in return for selling his daughter to a life of sexual servitude. When Rheinhard realized what his father had done, he was enraged. He angrily swore to destroy the corrupt, capricious Goldenbaum Dynasty and rescue his sister from the clutches of Kaiser Friedrich IV. Togehter, he and Kircheis promise to defeat any enemy and win every battle on the road toward that goal. Early Military Career Rheinhard graduated from the Odin Imperial Officer Academy at the top of his class, and though he was much resented by his upperclassmen, all of his peers and underclassmen respected and admired him. Immediately after graduating, Rheinhard and Kircheis were assigned to the frozen world of Kapche-Lanka, in the front line of the Iserlohn Corridor. There, Rheinhard found himself the center of an assassination plot by the Baroness Susana von Benemunde, a former consort of the Kaier who resented Annerose's position in the Imperial Harem. Rheinhard managed to thwart the attempt on his life, and at the same time was able to orchestrate two overwhelming victories against the Alliance forces stationed on the planet. Unfortunately, both conspirators on Kapche-Lanka died, making any possible legal action against Baroness Benemunde impossible. Following his victories, Rheinhard was promoted and transferred elsewhere. For a brief period of time, Rheinhard and Kircheis were both assigned to the Military Police on the planet Odin. While there, they were tasked with investigating a murder at the Imperial Officer Academy. Rheinhard discovered that the school's principal had, himself, committed the murder in order to cover up institutionalized graft and to improve the academic standing of his grandson. Later, while working at the Ministry of the Military on Odin, Rheinhard discovered several instances of corruption among base commanders on the front line. He and Kircheis gathered evidence and reported to their superiors, but were told that nothing could be done: corruption was a "necessary evil." This further solidifified Rheinhard's opinion that the Goldenbaum dynasty was too corrupt to be allowed to continue. At the age of 21, Rheinhard was promoted to the Admiralty--becoming the youngest admiral in the Galactic Empire. He was also given special permission to assume the long-defunct noble name of Lohengramm. Rheinhard eagerly embraced his new surname, cutting off all ties to his father along with the name "von Musel." As an admiral, Rheinhard was given command of a fleet and his own, one-of-a-kind warship, the Brunhild--the bloodthirsty maiden. Rheinhard led his fleets to a number of stunning victories along the Iserlohn Corridor, eventually culminating in the Battle of Astate, where he first fought against the man who would become his greatest rival, Yang Wenli. At the Battle of Astate, the Rheinhard's imperial fleet was severely outnumbered by the combined fleets of the Free Planets Alliance. Nonetheless, Rheinhard was able to assault each individual FPA fleet one at a time, and obliterate the entire formation with relative ease. Though the efforts of Yang Wenli allowed a great many FPA soldiers to escape who would have otherwise perished, the Battle of Astate was an overwhelming victory for Rheinhard and the Empire and gained him a promotion to High Admiral, commanding all of the fleets in the empire and granting him full command over the war effort in the Iserlohn Corridor. The FPA Invasion When Yang Wenli captured Iserlohn Fortress, many expected that the FPA, whose economy was in shambles after more than a century of continual warfare, would sue for peace. Instead, the hardliners in the Free Planets Alliance saw an opportunity to strike into the heart of the empire and to "liberate" the people of the Empire from their oppressors. As High Admiral of the Imperial Fleet, Rheinhard von Lohengramm was tasked with the defense of the empire. At the counsel of his advisor, Paul von Oberstein, Rheinhard pursued a strategy of "Scorched Earth." Rather than engage the invading FPA fleets directly, he had Imperial warships visit each world the FPA aimed to liberate, and leave with all of the planet's food, leaving the people to starve. Knowing that because their invasion hinged upon the idea of liberating the peasants from the Kaiser's rule, Rheinhard knew that the FPA occupations would need to feed the civilians, and thus create an unmanagable line of supply from Iserlohn. The plan worked, and the invading FPA forces soon found themselves starving. The people of the occupied planet, though initially thankful for the liberation, soon turned on the occupying FPA armies who had resorted to stealing food from the civilians. The FPA fleets were forced to withdraw from the many planets they had been allowed to conquer, and tighten their supply lines. The FPA fleets gathered at the Amlitzer Starzone in an attempt battle the Imperial Fleets directly. Rheinhard was more than willing to oblige. At the battle of Amlitzer Starzone, Rheinhard obliterated the Free Planets Alliance invasion force, severely weakening the ability of the FPA to wage war on any level. Following their disasterous defeat, the FPA withdrew to Iserlohn to lick their wounds. Imperial Civil War No sooner had the Free Planets Alliance fleets been routed at Amlitzer, did Rheinhard learn that Kaiser Friedrich IV had died peacefully in his sleep, thus robbing Rheinhard of his vengeance. A brutal struggle over succession to the Goldenbaum throne was inevitable, and as Rheinhard commanded considerable power, whichever heir he supported would become the next Kaiser. Rheinhard, along with Friedrich's Chief of Staff, Klaus von Lichtenlade, threw his support behind the five-year-old Erwin Joseph II. The child was quickly named Kaiser Erwin Joseph II, with Lichtenlade appointed as the boy-emperor's regent. Many of the High Nobles saw this as an attempt by Rheinhard and Lichtenlade to usurp the Imperial throne from the Goldenbaum family. These nobles then revolted against the Rheinhard, in support of one of the other two heirs to the throne. Prince Otto von Braunschweig led the opposition. Together with renowned Imperial Fleet admiral Merkatz, the revolting High Nobles fled to Geiersburg Fortress to coordinate the war effort. As they were revolting against the Kaiser, Rheinhard had the Nobleman named the "Rebel Forces," the same name by which the Free Planet's Alliance had been called by ever since Heinessen first fled the empire. .... The Goldenlohen Dynasty .... Dealings with the Earth Cult .... Relationships .... Legacy .... Famous Quotes .... Category:Soldier Category:Galactic Empire Category:Politicians